Mercy College and Essen Health Care Form Partnership

President Hall signing Essen Health Care agreement

Essen Health Care and Mercy College today announced the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Jumpstart Program to provide a pathway for students and employees to becoming Primary Care Providers. The FNP Jumpstart Program is a collaborative agreement where Essen Health Care will recommend qualified employees, including International Medical Graduates, to enroll in Mercy College’s Family Nurse Practitioner Master of Science Program. 

“Essen Health Care and Mercy College have a mutual mission: to improve the livelihood of the Bronx community,” says Dr. Sumir Sahgal, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Essen Health Care. “Mercy College has a fantastic program and we’re so excited to offer this to our staff so they can not only further themselves in their own career paths but give back to our community by providing vital care to some of the most vulnerable members of the population.”

Mercy College and Essen Health Care believe educating FNP students in the Bronx will provide a pipeline of qualified nurses to provide much needed primary care services to the Bronx community.  The FNP Master of Science Program offered by Mercy College is a six semester program designed for professional nurses who hold a Master of Science in Nursing or internationally-trained medical graduates (a physician who graduated from a medical school outside of the United States) with a BS in nursing. This advanced degree will provide the training and skills necessary to provide lifelong, comprehensive care through disease management, health education and primary care health services to patients. The program will be offered both online and in-person at the Mercy College Bronx Campus which includes state-of-the-art facilities and is nationally accredited by CCNE, AANP and ANCC.

“Mercy College is excited to partner with Essen Health Care to expand our Family Nurse Practitioner Program in the Bronx to their staff,” said Mercy College President Tim Hall. “We are looking forward to welcoming these students and helping them to continue their path to serving our community.”

The FNP Jumpstart Program is scheduled to begin in the Fall 2021 semester. Essen Health Care will nominate 15 of the most qualified candidates, including International Medical Graduates, to apply for admission. Once accepted, Mercy College will offer a pathway through the program including discounted tuition for Essen Health Care employees enrolled into the FNP program.